Mandy Reviews: Cross Bones Anthology by Various Authors

ISBN #: 978-1-61372-124-7

E-ISBN #: 978-1-61372-125-4

ASIN #: B005HEIGA0

File Size: 827 KB

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Ahoy, me proud beauty, shiver me timbers! I ask ye to sail me jollyboat on the high seas, lubber, but will ye dare to accept? On offer be a pirate's life full of danger and risk, and not just to yer neck, but to yer very virgin heart! There's many a bodice to be ripped -- or perhaps I should say many a codpiece to be snapped -- and should ye be graced enough to cross bones with a corsair, don't be an addlepate! Heave ho, lad, handsomely, and show him how ye bury ye treasure!

Pirates didn't only sail the high seas in historical times. Modern-day renegades and futuristic rebels are just as ripe for adventure and plunder. No matter the time, place, or circumstances, bad boys steal affection as often as they salvage treasure, and in these stories of romance, a rogue's black heart always conceals a center of gold.

Mandy's Review:

First, I will start by saying that this review is for mature audiences only. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to say, yet, but with the book's contents containing sexual matter, I wanted to go ahead and throw out that warning.

For those that don't know, I read ALL kinds of books. This is the first time, though, that I've read M/M erotica. I've found that M/M erotica really isn't my cup of tea. I like reading male/female, and even threesomes, but this foray into male-on-male did not do it for me. I mean, there's only so many times I can read about two guys jacking each other off or sticking their fingers up the other's arse to "prepare" them...

Despite the repetitive nature of the sexual scenarios, there were some well-written stories in this anthology. One of my faves (for the brilliance of the writing, not the porn) was Peter and the Lost Boys. I like how the author took the elements from Peter Pan and converted them into an M/M short story.

Overall, the book was okay. One thing I did love, though, was the cover.  Good Lord, if I had a fine man like that I'd make up my own stories!!!!

Anywho ... The pirate theme throughout all the stories was nice and the majority of the stories were written well, as I've mentioned previously. However, I believe this one, singular book has quenched my curiosity about M/M erotica. I will not be reading any more of this type ...

If you like M/M erotica, this book is definitely for you.

Kathy Reviews - One Page At A Time: Getting Through College With ADHD by Phill Pappas

ISBN #: 978-0615523729

Page Count: 94

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Phill Pappas

Book Summary:

(As stated by the author)

The book is part memoir, part self-help guide for students with ADHD, and it is based on my own experiences during my years in college.

The book is broken down into three sections: Home, School and Life. Each section focuses on issues that I dealt with during my time in college - from buying a laundry basket, to choosing classes, dealing with procrastination, and everything else in between.

I wrote this book, because I believe that if I had had something like this when I was a freshman it may not have taken me seven years to get through college. After graduating, I felt the need to write about my experiences so that other students with ADHD could have something that they could easily relate to and benefit from.

This book is written for seniors in high school and college students with ADHD.

Kathy's Review:

Picture that you're a high school senior or incoming college freshman struggling with ADHD, and your friend's older brother, a college grad who also has ADHD, has agreed to meet you for a cup of coffee to give you some advice.

That's the feeling Pappas gives you while reading this book. He's been there, and he wants to help you through it, too. He imparts his wisdom in the language of a young person, including f-bombs and other colorful adjectives. He asks forgiveness in case he goes on a tangent about Ninjas. This is accompanied by the first of his hilarious footnotes: "I like Ninjas."

It was at this point I decided I liked Pappas, and his book.

He systematically goes through tips on how a college student with ADHD can succeed in school and in life (and really, there's a LOT in here for college students in general - stuff that I wished someone had told me when I was back in school, when dinosaurs still walked the earth). These tips include organization of your workspace at home, how to study, how to schedule classes, figuring out when your peak performance times are, and much more.

And then there's the aforementioned Ninja tangent. It involves throwing stars vs. guns, and at first, I thought he was going for an analogy about college life, but nope - it was just a tangent about Ninjas. And it's funny, so you don't mind reading it.

This is a book I think any college student could get something from, but since it's directed towards those with ADHD, I think it's an excellent resource. I think college organizations that focus on ADHD should pass this book out to its members. And I salute Mr. Pappas for writing such an informative, humorous, honest book.

Mandy Reviews: Lakebridge Spring by Natasha Troop

ISBN #: 978-1461122500

Page Count: 250

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Vermont, picturesque and lovely, attracts visitors from across the country in search for the perfect picture, the perfect fall foliage or perhaps a taste of maple syrup. Stansbury is best known for the odd covered bridge that spans Stansbury Lake and goes nowhere, connecting no roads and serving no known purpose. The locals call it the Lakebridge. Very few know of its mysterious origins and fewer care to know more. Those visiting the town perhaps take a few snapshots and leave, their curiosity quelled by an uneasy feeling that they shouldn't think on it anymore. The tourists will eventually leave Stansbury, but its residents strangely linger, seemingly held captive by a force they barely recognize. They also do not think about the town's mysterious artifact much except in passing, all but Gil, his father, Ben, and a few others. They know of the bridge's dark history and understand that it is responsible for every horror that ever befell the people of Stansbury: the people who fear the bridge but will not speak of it. The bridge makes people do things - bad things - so that it can continue to love and care for them all. Some have tried to destroy the bridge, but as long as the bridge is fed with the lives of the innocents of Stansbury it will go on - loving the people of Stansbury.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

Like: It reminds me of fog or shadows, which makes the reader think the book is mysterious and spooky.

Plot

There is evil in Stansbury ... in the form of a bridge. A covered bridge. Built by some English gent to access the darkness of his evil powers.

The bridge never fades. The bridge never needs repairs. The bridge can never be brought down. The bridge is here to stay to, obsessively and possessively, "love" the inhabitants of the town named after its creator, Lord Stansbury.

Will the Silver Knight and the Strange One be successful in their quest of finding the bridge's weakness and bringing it to ruins?

Main Characters

Gil - This man was born with bad luck and cannot get rid of it. Those who come in contact with him are also affected.

Shelley - Gil's best friend and the object of a state patrolperson's love interest. She's always happy, lives in the moment and continuously tries to help people.

Ben - Town sheriff. He knows something is wrong with Stansbury and tries to uncover its secrets.

Overall

The book was interesting. I only have two major complaints:

• Chapters were way too long
• A LOT of proofreading mistakes. Not spelling ... proofreading.

Minor complaints: I would have liked to have found out the codgy pharmacist's background and perhaps have been introduced to more of the darker side of Lakebridge.

Other than that, the concept of the story was unique and original. I enjoyed that. I think with a few little tweaks, this could be a great novel.

Kathy Reviews: Centuries of June by Keith Donohue

ISBN #: 978-0307450289

Page Count: 352

Copyright: 2011

Publisher: Crown

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Set in the bathroom of an old house just before dawn on a night in June, Centuries of June is a black comedy about a man who is attempting to tell the story of how he ended up on the floor with a hole in his head. But he keeps getting interrupted by a series of suspects - eight women lying in the bedroom just down the hall. Each woman tells a story drawn from five centuries of American myth and legend in a wild medley of styles and voices.

Kathy's Review:

This was one of those books that makes you go, "hmm."

There's the main character, Jack, who finds himself the object of several murder attempts by women he swears he's never seen before. The attempts are thwarted by an old man who looks just like his dead father. Oh, and did I mention that this is all taking place inside the bathroom in Jack's house? Eventually there are seven women, plus Jack, plus the dead-daddy lookalike, plus a baby that grows way too quickly, all crowded in there. Each woman gets a chance to tell her tale, which involves being wronged by a man in a time period different than the present.

At first, I had no idea what was going on. It felt like some kind of Lost sideways universe that, even once it started to become more clear, just wasn't cohesive enough for me to follow. However, I did figure out what was happening to Jack before it's actually revealed.

I liked some of the women's narratives - my favorites were "The Woman Who Married A Bear," and "The Woman Who Lost the Flag." I think I would have liked each of these individual narratives better if they were just that - a collection of stories, rather than part of a larger novel that tried to tie them all together.

Donohue has an interesting concept with Centuries of June; I'm just not sure I fully understood or enjoyed the execution of the concept.

Guest Review: Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth

ISBN-10: 1416534830

ASIN #: B001PO64VE

Page Count: 368

Copyright: 2008

Publisher: Touchstone

Book Overview:

(Taken from book website)

London, 1889. Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright and raconteur, is the literary sensation of his age. All Europe lies at his feet. Yet when he chances upon the naked corpse of sixteen-year-old Billy Wood, posed by candlelight in a dark and stifling upstairs room, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle, he sets out to solve the crime - and it is Wilde's peculiar genius and his unparalleled access to all degrees of late-Victorian life - from society drawing rooms and the bohemian demi-monde to the criminal underclass - that prove the decisive factors in their investigation of what turns out to be the first in a series of bizarre and apparently inexplicable killings.

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders is a gripping detective story that explores the secret world of Oscar Wilde - his surprising friendships, his complex marriage, and his unusual association with Inspector Aidan Fraser of Scotland Yard.

Set against the exotic backdrop of fin-de-siecle London and Paris, Gyles Brandreth evokes Oscar Wilde's trademark wit and brilliance with huge flair, intertwining all the intrigue of the classic English murder mystery with a compelling portrait of one of the greatest characters of the Victorian age.

Denise's Review:

The main characters in this mystery novel come from real life; Oscar Wilde (a 19th century writer who really needs no introduction), Robert Sherard (Oscar Wilde's true-life friend, also a writer and journalist) and Arthur Conan Doyle (author of the Sherlock Holmes series). Although the characters are based on fact, the story is fiction ... and great fiction it is.

In accordance with Robert Sherard's true-life role as Oscar Wilde's biographer, the characters of Robert Sherard serves as the narrator of the story. The story begins with Oscar Wilde introducting Mr. Sherard to Arthur Conan Doyle. Mr. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories are being read wildly by many, and when Oscar Wilde happens upon the murdered body of his sixteen-year-old friend, Billy Wood, he quickly begins trying to solve the murder mystery by using the techniques of Sherlock Holmes.

Using the same tricks, tools and reasoning of Holmes, Wilde sets about first trying to prove that the boy was indeed murdered and second hunting down the killer. This man-hunt takes Oscar and his friends into the fascinating and somewhat questionable parts of London; from high-class restaurants and drawing rooms to the bizarre world of London's Victorian era "counter culture."

Brandreth does a remarkable job of weaving fiction and fact. He uses known facts about Wilde's life (his marriage, his family and friends, his lifestyle that eventually ended in his exile from England). The language is even dead on for the period setting. Brandreth also managed to master the witty, curious and unique style of speech that Oscar Wilde is so well known for. There were times I forgot that I was reading fiction.

Even if you are not typically drawn to mystery novels or Victorian-era work, Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance should be on your list of "must reads." You will be captivated by the language, the plot and the history so meticuously written by Brandreth.

I give this novel five out of five stars.

About Denise:

Denise Keene has been a Special Ed teacher for 15 years now and likes to write articles about various related topics. She also owns the site Masters In Special Education.